curio cottage volume 3
a new year cottage
Happy New Year!
Some people don’t really connect to the hype around the new year, but I personally like it! Even though September has felt like the real restart to me for ages - thanks to school starting as a child and teen and then apartment leases renewing as an adult - there’s something comforting about a fresh start during the darkest time of the year. I’m not a huge resolutions person, but I like to look back on the year and think about my favorite moments, big accomplishments, and feelings of gratitude. I’m feeling really grateful for a year well spent in the company of lovely friends, family, and colleagues, with many interesting trips and sights. Some highlights from my 2024 include seeing the total solar eclipse in April over Indianapolis, visiting Santa Fe for the first time, wandering all over the big island in Hawaii with Alex and my family thanks to my cousin’s wedding there, traveling for work (to three different places!), and many sunny park picnics right outside my front door. My picks this week will attempt to be a little homage to those moments that made up my year!
🖼️ Arts corner
Jay Ryan is a talented Chicago based printmaker and artist who makes loads of amazing gig posters under the name “The Bird Machine” - including several for one of my personal favorite artists, Andrew Bird. He also made this gorgeous eclipse print which is unfortunately sold out. regretting not picking one up this summer. Like I mentioned, witnessing the total solar eclipse was one of my favorite moments of the year and I think this piece is an excellent tribute.
My favorite Khruangbin song so far came out in 2024, accompanied by this beautiful music video that I’ve rewatched a ton. Just a lovely piece of art and reminds me of another wonderful thing that happened this year, one of my dearest and oldest friends welcoming her first baby to the world :) I was also lucky to see Khruangbin live with a group of pals this summer, so this song really might just be my song of the year.
Stunning quilts by Lindsey Faith, always sold out and for good reason. These don’t really relate to my past year in any big thematic way tbh, but I am obsessed with them.
🎵 Music room (a few 2024 releases i really liked this year)
Ginger Root - No Problems - Upbeat, city pop-esque, and just a vibe. Listened to this on repeat to put myself in a positive mood throughout the summer. I also finally saw this guy live this year and the show was a blast, so much fun and so whimsical!
Flyte & Madison Cunningham - Perfect Dark - Moody dark folk song with perfect harmonies. Chef’s kiss
The Japanese House - :) - Lush and dreamy indie pop from The Japanese House as always. Feels like spring!
I obviously also listened to my fill of Chappell Roan, Sabrina Carpenter, Remi Wolf, Clairo, and Khruangbin this year, but I figured that goes without saying :)
You won’t find these songs on my seasonal Spotify playlist, since I listened to them earlier in the year, but you can find some other songs in there hehe
📖 Library (ok it’s just 3 wikipedia pages)
Pueblo architecture refers to the traditional architecture of the Pueblo people in what is now the Southwestern United States, especially New Mexico.
One thing that’s cool about Santa Fe is most of the architecture is in this style, which is really unique and incredible to see. It’s got to be one of the most distinctive styles of architecture in North America, but I really didn’t know much about it before seeing it in person.
The magnificent frigatebird, frigate petrel or man o' war is a seabird of the frigatebird family Fregatidae.
I saw these birds while on a corporate retreat in Mexico and they were legitimately terrifying, like actual dinosaurs. The way they harass and steal food from other birds is really something to behold.
Tartarian Empire refers to a group of pseudohistorical conspiracy theories, including ideas of a "hidden past" and "mud floods" which originated as pseudoscientific Russian nationalism.
I honestly didn’t know about the Russian nationalist origins of this conspiracy theory, but it’s by far my favorite conspiracy out there right now, just due to the extreme nature of it and how it represents people’s collective sadness about and disillusionment with our aesthetic surroundings today.
Plugs
Just a couple recent illustrations of mine. Instagram has become an absolute ghost town for engagement for visual artists, so not really sure if it’s going to be a permanent home for my personal work, but so far I haven’t found any good alternatives.
If you are Chicago based, some of my prints are actually also still up on the walls at Elixir in Andersonville, but coming down shortly - so now is your chance to see it!
Cheers!
Such a lovely tribute to 2024!